MASTERING MARISSA – Cyna Kade
Ellora’s Cave - www.ellorascave.com
ISBN: 978-1-4199-0904-7
January 2007      
Erotic Science Fiction Romance
Rated E-rotic

When Marissa’s mother died she thought she was all alone in the world, until she receives a letter explaining that her father is alive. The problem is that her father lives on Darinth, a land known for its dominant males. Marissa has good reason to value her independence, and has no intention of becoming nothing more than some man’s possession. But the chance to have a family is tempting, and when her father assures Marissa that she will be safe under his protection on Darinth, she agrees to meet him.

After waiting all night for her father to pick her up at the arrivals area of the transport station, Marissa reluctantly agrees to leave with Kytar, a man who claims to know her father. Unfortunately, Marissa is unaccustomed to the ways of Darinth, and doesn’t realize that Kytar has misled her. While he does know Marissa’s father, Kytar was not sent by him, and by convincing her to leave with him, she has pledged herself as his companion.  Darinth is a land of magic, and Marissa is now bound to Kytar.

She’s vowed to not be a slave, yet Marissa is surprised by her attraction to Kytar.  How can she be aroused by a man whose intentions are to subjugate her?  Will she be able to withstand the torture – or the pleasure?

MASTERING MARISSA is a tale well-worthy of its E-rotic rating, and definitely not for the faint of heart. While most believe the Darinthians are a race of people that enslave their women, the truth is something very different – the males cherish and protect the women, who are not as physically capable as the men. Not only did Marissa grow up in a distinctly different culture, she also grew up watching her step-father abuse her mother. She has no intention of allowing a man to control any aspect of her life. Which is why she has such difficulty accepting her desire to cede control sexually to Kytar. Kytar understands that Marissa is ignorant of his culture, so he tries to be patient with her defiance, but the magic of the binding is making it nearly impossible to wait. 

With its strong BDSM theme, MASTERING MARISSA may not be for everyone, but is an interesting story.

Jennifer Bishop